Ministry of Justice

Animal Welfare: Prosecutions

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal were successful in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, and (5) 2023.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice holds information on prosecutions, convictions and sentencing outcomes for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, covering the period requested. The latest data available, until year ending June 2023, can be obtained through the Outcomes by Offence data tool in the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).Prosecutions and convictions for all years requested, from January 2019 until data is available up to June 2023, has been provided in Table 1. These totals relate to both the summary non-motoring and triable either way classifications of the offence. The full calendar year for 2023 will be available in the next update of the Outcomes by Offence tool, expected in May 2024. HL3218_table (xlsx, 18.5KB)

Birds: Eggs

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions for stealing protected wild birds' eggs in England were successful in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, and (5) 2023.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice holds information on prosecutions, convictions, and sentencing outcomes for summary offences in relation to nests and eggs of birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (HO offence code 19002). The latest data available, until year ending June 2023, can be obtained through the Outcomes by Offence data tool in the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). A further breakdown of the published data is required to extract figures specific to stealing the eggs of protected wild birds, for the offences ‘Take eggs of Schedule 1 wild bird’ and ‘Take eggs of non-Schedule 1 wild bird’, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Between 2019 and June 2023, there was one prosecution and one conviction in 2021 on a principal offence basis, relating to the eggs of a non-schedule 1 wild bird. Figures for the rest of 2023 will be available in the next update of the Criminal Justice Statistics Quarterly publication, expected in May 2024.

Hunting and Poaching: Prosecutions

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government how many prosecutions for poaching in England were successful under the Game Act 1831, the Hunting Act 2004 and the Night Poaching Act 1828 in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, (3) 2021, (4) 2022, and (5) 2023.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on prosecutions, convictions, and sentencing outcomes for poaching offences. The latest data available, until year ending June 2023, can be obtained through the Outcomes by Offence data tool in the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).A further breakdown of the published data is required to extract figures specific to poaching offences under the Game Act 1831, the Hunting Act 2004, and the Night Poaching Act 1828. Prosecutions and convictions for all years requested, from January 2019 until data is available up to June 2023, has been provided in Table 1 on a principal offence basis. The full calendar year for 2023 will be available in the next update of the Outcomes by Offence tool, expected in May 2024. HL3214_table (xlsx, 19.3KB)

Prisons: Offensive Weapons

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government whether prison canteens are permitted to sell materials that could be used to manufacture offensive weapons that could cause serious facial disfigurement.

Lord Bellamy: Many everyday necessities can be adapted and misused as weapons. Deciding which items should be made available therefore involves striking a balance between considerations of safety and decency.Establishments select their local canteen list from items in the National Product List. They make their selection on the basis of a dynamic local risk assessment, taking into account a range of factors, notably security, safety, and prisoner needs.The Government is committed to making prisons a safe place to work and recognises the risks associated with prisoners’ access to everyday items, including wet-shave razors. In our 2021 Prisons Strategy White Paper, we committed ourselves to trialling alternatives to wet-shave razors in prisons, to determine whether a change in approach might lead to a safer environment for both prisoners and staff. Throughout 2022 and 2023, six pilots have been carried out in the male estate and one in the female estate. Testing at all sites has now concluded and the results are being evaluated. The evaluation, which is nearing completion, will enable us to make informed recommendations on future shaving provision in prison establishments.

Young Offender Institutions: Pepper Spray

Lord Carlile of Berriew: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to permit the use of PAVA incapacitant spray in the children’s custodial estate; if so what is the timescale for its introduction; and what practical advice and instructions will be issued.

Lord Carlile of Berriew: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to publish an evidence-based assessment of the respective benefits and risks attached to the use of PAVA incapacitant spray in the children’s custodial estate.

Lord Bellamy: The safety and welfare of children and young people in custody, and of our staff, is paramount. We are focused on improving safety in the youth estate, where we manage an increased risk of serious incidents, with higher rates of assault on young people and on staff than in other parts of the secure estate.PAVA spray is currently available for use in the event of a serious incident in the youth estate, if the National Gold commander decides this is necessary. Consideration is being given to whether the criteria for its use in the youth estate require revision.Following wide engagement on this issue, both with specialists across His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, and externally, including with medical advisors and legal experts, we are in the process of examining all the evidence. This is taking time, owing to the complexity of the issues and the seriousness of the question to be decided.The evaluation of the PAVA roll-out in the adult estate is currently being peer-reviewed prior to publication.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sugar Beet: Neonicotinoids

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask His Majesty's Government with regard to the ban on the use of neonicotinoids,what is their rationale for allowing a derogationin 2024 year for sugar beet growers; and for how many years an emergency authorisationcanbe in place.

Lord Douglas-Miller: A statement of reasons for the emergency authorisation of Cruiser SB in 2024  can be found attached to this answer.An emergency authorisation cannot run from year to year. This authorisation is for the 2024 sugar beet crop only and is valid for 120 days. Use of Cruiser SB or a similar product in any subsequent years would require the submission of a further application. Any future applications would be carefully assessed against the regulatory framework for emergency authorisations.List of Reasons  (pdf, 89.9KB)

Sugar Beet: Neonicotinoids

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to theStatement of reasons for the decision on the application for emergency authorisation for the use of Cruiser SB on sugar beet crops in 2024,updatedon 18 January, what steps they are taking to ensure thatsugar beet growers are able to comply with the conditions of emergency use, in particular that (1) "Only a specific list of crops, none of which flower before harvest, are permitted to be planted in the same field as treated sugar beet within 32 months", and (2) "no further use of thiamethoxam seed treatments on the same field within 46 months"; and what assessment they have made of likely compliance from sugar beet growersgiven restrictions on land supply and restrictions on reuse of a field for sugar beet cultivationthat maytake place before 46 months has passed since the last same usage.

Lord Douglas-Miller: All pesticide use in the UK is regulated through HSE’s overarching programme of enforcement and compliance. This includes extensive monitoring and intelligence-led enforcement activities to ensure that the supply and use of pesticides complies with legal requirements. All UK sugar beet is grown under commercial contracting arrangements. Growers are used to meeting a range of requirements and are supported throughout the season by weekly monitoring and advice provided by the British Beet Research Organisation (BBRO). This provides a robust control mechanism for stewardship. As part of the stewardship programme, all growers are fully advised of the requirements for use of seeds treated with Cruiser SB. The restrictions on the planting of succeeding crops are designed to limit levels of neonicotinoids in the environment and to be capable of incorporation into typical arable crop rotation patterns. Farmers can decide whether or not they wish to grow sugar beet in a given year and, if so, whether they wish to use Cruiser SB. The restrictions on succeeding crops will be a factor in that decision; those farmers that opt to grow sugar beet with Cruiser SB will have considered how to accommodate the restrictions within their crop rotation plans.

Chemicals: Health Hazards

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what processes the Environment Agency follows in identifying and nominating chemical substances to the Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern; and whether there are routes for individuals or other organisations to raise chemical substances of concern to PEWS.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Environment Agency has developed a nomination process that integrates horizon scanning, environmental monitoring, and international collaboration. Nominations are received from internal and external stakeholders, collected from systematic reviews of published research, and watchlists developed by international environmental agency counterparts. Individuals and organisations are able to feed into the nomination process by raising chemical substances of concern to any contact within DEFRA or the Environment Agency via PEWS@environment-agency.gov.uk who can nominate the substance following the instructions provided on the internal intranet page for PEWS. The Environment Agency has adopted recommendations made by the Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee on stakeholder engagement, from their 2021 review of PEWS.

Recycling: Reform

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of theadequacy offunding to local authorities to implement the simpler recycling reforms that were announced in October 2023.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Financial burdens introduced through new statutory duties on local authorities will be assessed in accordance with the new burdens doctrine and reasonable net costs will be covered by the Government in line with the new burdens doctrine. We have brought forward up to £295 million in capital funding to roll out weekly food waste collections across England. This will cover the cost of additional bins and vehicles. Defra developed the funding formula in collaboration with the Waste and Resources Action Programme and underwent an extensive assurance process with local authority networks. Requests by local authorities to reconsider funding allocations, based on new evidence, are currently being considered. We are still calculating resource funding allocations. Extended Producer Responsibility payments will be provided to local authorities for the costs of collecting and managing household packaging waste through efficient and effective services. This includes the collection of additional packaging materials for recycling such as plastic films and flexibles. Initial estimates are that local authorities in the UK will collectively receive payments in the region of £1.2 billion per annum for managing household packaging waste. Payments modelling is currently underway to refine this estimate ready for packaging Extended Producer Responsibility implementation.

Food: Waste Disposal

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the impact of requiringweekly food waste collections on rural councils.

Lord Douglas-Miller: Financial burdens introduced through new statutory duties on local authorities will be assessed in accordance with the new burdens doctrine and reasonable net costs will be covered by the government in line with the new burdens doctrine. We have brought forward up to £295 million in capital funding to roll out weekly food waste collections across England. This will cover the cost of additional bins and vehicles. Defra developed the funding formula in collaboration with the Waste and Resources Action Programme. The formula took into account rurality and underwent an extensive assurance process with local authority networks. We are still calculating resource funding allocations.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have sought to canvass the views of the EU Council of Ministers and MEPs about their readiness to remove those requirements set out by Article 4(3) of EU Regulation 2023/1231 before committing to remove statutory quotas for identity checks pertaining to the movement of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland beyond the red lane.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Government has been clear that there will be no checks when goods move within the UK internal market system save those conducted by UK authorities as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the scheme, smuggling and disease risks. This is a matter for the UK Government. The Government meets regularly with the European Union to discuss matters under the Windsor Framework and as set out in the Command Paper, we will transition to new arrangements over the coming months.

Department for Business and Trade

Arms Trade: Israel

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering suspending the licensing of military equipment to Israel if it conducts a ground offensive in Rafah.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The Government takes its defence export responsibilities extremely seriously and operates some of the most robust export controls in the world. We continue to monitor closely the situation in Israel and Gaza, and if extant licences are found to be no longer consistent with the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, then those licences can be revoked, suspended or amended.

Arms Trade: Israel

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the recent decisions by the governments of Belgium, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands suspending the licensing of arms and military equipment to Israel, whether they will review the United Kingdom’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria and suspend the licensing of arms and military equipment to Israel.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Government takes its defence export responsibilities extremely seriously and operates some of the most robust export controls in the world.The Government continue to monitor closely the situation in Israel and Gaza, and if extant licences are found to be no longer consistent with the UK Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC), then those licences can be revoked, suspended or amended.

Arms Trade: Israel

Baroness Janke: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any further assessment of the legality of licensing military equipment destined for Israel since the provisional measures order was issued by the International Court of Justice on 26 January.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the UK’s Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including with regard to international humanitarian law. The Government can and does respond quickly and flexibly to changing international circumstances. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences and refuse new licence applications as circumstances require. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade receives legal advice as appropriate, on all matters related to export licensing, as part of advice from officials. Any legal advice received is subject to legal professional privilege and as such we do not comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.

Red Sea: Piracy

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe increased costs to British business resulting from the attacks to shipping in the Red Sea.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Department of Business and Trade is in regular contact with key businesses and industries to understand the issues they may be facing as a result of the disturbance in the Red Sea. We have open channels of communication with key stakeholders to ensure the most effective mitigations are in place to support with any increased costs they are facing. Our Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy will help UK business build the secure and reliable supply chains vital to the UK’s economic prosperity, national security and essential services. For exporters affected, UK businesses can access DBT’s wealth of export support via Great.gov.uk. This comprises a digital self-serve offer and our wider network of support, including trade advisors, export champions, the Export Academy, International Markets network, and UK Export Finance.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Monuments: Slavery

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Mayor of London concerning the location of the memorial for victims of the transatlantic slave trade.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government has had no discussions with the Mayor of London concerning this matter. At the recent Budget, HM Government provided £10 million to National Museums Liverpool, to help in part with its planned expansion of the International Slavery Museum.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Myanmar: Rohingya

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made to Amnesty International’s claim that the Myanmar authorities’ treatment of Rohingya amounts to apartheid; and what steps they plan to take, if any, in response.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK remains deeply concerned by ongoing discrimination against the Rohingya in Myanmar. We will continue to use our role at the UN Security Council to maintain a spotlight on Myanmar, including the treatment of the Rohingya, the need for unhindered humanitarian access and for the root causes of the conflict in Rakhine State to be addressed. The UK supports efforts to strengthen accountability in Myanmar. We have provided over £600,000 to the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, and established the Myanmar Witness project, in order to collect and preserve evidence of human rights violations, including against the Rohingya.

South Sudan: Sudan

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government, following recent attacks on civilians and UN peacekeepers, what is their assessment of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei capacity at its current troop level to protect civilians in Abyei Administrative Area.

Lord Benyon: The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei's (UNISFA) mandate was renewed in November 2023 and amended better to equip the mission to respond quickly to security incidents and to place greater emphasis on community engagement. The UK is using its position as a permanent member of the Security Council to urge both the government of South Sudan and the de facto Sudanese authorities to ensure UNISFA can fully and effectively implement its mandate, in line with their responsibility as host states and the 2011 Status of Forces Agreements. The extension of the UNISFA mandate from six to twelve months will also better enable the mission to develop longer-term strategies.

South Sudan: Sudan

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the governments of Sudan and South Sudan to implement the UN Security Council’s recommendations in the Secretary-General’s Report on the situation in Abyei.

Lord Benyon: The UK echoes the UN Secretary-General's encouragement for the African Union to intensify its mediation efforts to help reach a political solution for Abyei. We continue to urge both the Governments of South Sudan and the de facto authorities in Sudan to regularise meetings of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee and agree joint security mechanisms to improve stability in Abyei until its final status can be agreed. The UK has expressed alarm in the UN Security Council about the ongoing positioning of the South Sudanese People's Defence Forces in Abyei and have called upon the Government of South Sudan to immediately withdraw its troops in line with its commitments under the 2011 Status of Forces Agreement.

South Sudan: Sudan

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of South Sudanconcerning the implementation of President Kiir’s decree on thedisarmament of any violent groups within the Ngok and Twic Dinka communities.

Lord Benyon: The UK is using its position as a permanent member of the Security Council to press both the government of South Sudan and the de facto Sudanese authorities to ensure The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) can fully and effectively implement its mandate, in line with their responsibility as host states. The UK released a statement alongside Troika (UK, US, Norway) partners on January 29, to condemn the series of armed attacks in Abyei and urge the Government of South Sudan urgently to withdraw its troops in line with its commitments under the 2011 Status of Forces Agreement.

South Sudan: Sudan

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the humanitarian situation in Abyei, following any conflict-induced internal displacements; and what support they will provide to enable the safe return of any internally displaced persons to their homes.

Lord Benyon: The influx of refugees and returnees fleeing the conflict in Sudan, inter-communal violence and recurrent flooding has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation in Abyei. We are working with the UN and the humanitarian community in Sudan and South Sudan to address these immense humanitarian needs. De-escalation of violence and a sustained peace is essential to facilitate the safe return of internally displaced people to their homes. We continue to urge both the Governments of South Sudan and the de facto authorities in Sudan to regularise meetings of the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee and agree joint security mechanisms to improve stability in Abyei until its final status can be agreed.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to secure guarantees from Sudan’s warring factions for the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected populations.

Lord Benyon: The UK welcomes the UN Security Council passing Resolution 2724, which the UK had drafted. Our top humanitarian priority remains securing immediate humanitarian access and operational security guarantees for humanitarian agencies. We urge the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to honour their commitment to facilitate access to crossline and other cross-border routes for the delivery of life-saving assistance. The UK continues to work with regional and international partners to secure safe humanitarian access for at need communities.

Sudan: Food Aid

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase multi-year funding to support the most food-insecure people in Sudan and Sudanese refugees in neighbouring countries.

Lord Benyon: The UK continues to provide assistance to people in need in Sudan through our humanitarian aid package of £38 million for 2023-2024, The UK is providing more than £38 million in humanitarian funding in 2023-24, including £12.2 million to UNICEF for lifesaving nutrition activities. We are also helping those fleeing to neighbouring countries, with £7.75 million to support Sudanese refugees in South Sudan, including £3.5 million for food security in the Maban refugee camps and £15 million to Chad. In 2024/2025, the UK bilateral Official Development Assistance to Sudan will double to £89 million.

Treasury

Retail Trade: Taxation

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to rebalance the burden of taxes to provide a fairer distribution between high street businesses and onlinecompanies.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The 2023 business rates revaluation updated ratable values to ensure bills more closely reflect the commercial property market and ensured the burden of rates falls across all non-domestic properties.Furthermore, at Autumn Statement 2023, the government announced a package of business rates support worth £4.3 billion over the next five years to support small businesses and the high street.

Child Benefit

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government why thresholds for child benefit entitlement do not take into account overall household income, so that families with one earner are sometimes disadvantaged under the current system.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government at the Spring Budget set out plans to administer the High Income Child Benefit Charge on a household rather than individual basis by April 2026, and will be consulting on these changes in due course

Air Passenger Duty

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they had with devolved administrations concerning the level and continuance of Air Passenger Duty prior to the Budget statement announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 6 March.

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they undertook on air connectivity within the UK and on the wider impact on the Union, before deciding to raise aspects of Air Passenger Duty in the Budget statement announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 6 March.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: At Spring Budget 2024, the Government announced a one-off adjustment to non-economy rates of Air Passenger Duty (APD) for 2025-26 to help maintain their real terms value. As a result of these changes, the APD rates for domestic flights will not rise for commercial passengers.In line with the Government’s commitment to support UK-wide connectivity, it halved the rate of APD on domestic flights in April 2023 following the 2021 consultation on aviation tax reform. As part of the consultation, the Government engaged with the Devolved Administrations, including the Northern Ireland Executive and other organisations from Northern Ireland.As with all taxes, the Government keeps APD rates under review.

Holiday Accommodation and Multiple Occupation: Tax Allowances

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Budget statement announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 6 March, what assessment they have made ofthe long-term implications of abolishing tax relief for holiday lets and ending multiple dwelling relief from stamp duty land tax on the housing market and local economies.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: By abolishing the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax regime, the government will remove the current incentive for landlords to offer short‑term holiday lets rather than longer-term homes. This will level the playing field between short-term holiday lets and long-term lets and support people to live in their local area.An external evaluation exploring the use of Multiple Dwellings Relief showed no strong evidence the relief is meeting its original objectives of supporting investment in the private rented sector.

Second Homes: Tax Allowances

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to scrapping tax breaks for all second homes, and not just short-term lets, as a further step in dealing with the rural housing affordability crisis.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government has announced that it will abolish the Furnished Holiday Lettings (FHL) tax regime, equalising the tax treatment of landlords with short-term holiday lets and those with standard residential properties.More broadly, the government has recently introduced a new power which will allow local authorities to double the council tax charge on second homes from 1 April 2025. In 2016, the government also introduced a three percent Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge on purchases of additional homes.The government has no current plans to make further changes to the tax system with respect to second homes. All government tax policy remains under review.

National Insurance: British Nationals Abroad

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their current target time for processing (1) online, and (2) postal, applications for certificates confirming payment of UK National Insurance when working temporarily abroad ("A1 Forms"), and when they expect to achieve these target times.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HMRC’s Service Level Standards (SLA) for responding to A1 certificate applications are 15 working days, where received through the online application forms, and 40 working days, where received by post.HMRC has implemented measures to bring processing back within the SLA by the end of April 2024.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Lord Lipsey: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) median, and (2) upper decile, wait time for His Majesty's Revenue and Customs to answer telephone calls.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HMRC does not report on the median or upper decile wait times for telephone calls. However, HMRC publishes data on the average speed of answer for customer calls and the percentage of calls where the customer waited more than 10 minutes.This information can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports#reporting-year-2023-to-2024

Department for Transport

Shipping: Arctic

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the safety of British ships crossing the Arctic Ocean as new shipping lanes become accessible as a result of climate change.

Lord Davies of Gower: His Majesty’s Government does not directly monitor the safety of British ships crossing the Arctic Ocean. However, ships transiting these waters will be monitored by those States that have Search and Rescue (SAR) responsibilities in the region. With regards the safety of British ships in Arctic waters, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) came into force 1 January 2017 and requires ships operating in the Polar regions to meet enhanced safety standards which reflect the additional risks associated with those regions. The UK applies these standards through a survey and certification regime to ensure that safety standards are met and that ships operating in polar regions apply the additional safety considerations that are considered necessary.

Large Goods Vehicles

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency has issued on using ordinary carpet tiles to increase friction between a load and a goods vehicle trailer deck.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has not issued guidance about using ordinary carpet tiles to increase friction on a vehicle or trailer deck.

Large Goods Vehicles

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency has issued as to whether it is necessary to load a steel structure on a goods vehicle trailer against the headboard or a false headboard, or whether it is sufficient to secure the load so that it cannot possibly move forwards or be a danger to other road users.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has issued comprehensive guidance about ways to carry and secure loads safely on heavy goods vehicles. The guidance is available on GOV.UK under the headings ‘Securing loads on heavy goods vehicles and goods vehicles – how to carry different types of load in HGVs and goods vehicles’ and ‘Securing loads on HGVs and goods vehicle – ways to secure a load in an HGV or goods vehicle’. This includes how and where to load and secure a steel structure on a goods vehicle.

Road Signs and Markings

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government what their policy is on enforcing the size requirements for signage in paragraph 15 of Schedule 1 to the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003; and, in particular, under what circumstances a vehicle would be stopped from being used on roads under this provision.

Earl Attlee: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing the size tolerance for signage in paragraph 15 of Schedule 1tothe Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 in the interests of simplifying transportation for industry.

Lord Davies of Gower: Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA), as amended, allows the Secretary of State to make regulations generally as to the use of motor vehicles and trailers on roads, their construction and equipment and the conditions under which they may be so used.Section 41(2)(b) permits the regulations to make provisions concerning the particulars to be marked on motor vehicles and trailers by means of the fixing of plates or otherwise and the circumstances in which they are to be marked. Existing requirements for the size tolerance for signage under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 is considered appropriate for standard manufacturing techniques and adequate to facilitate good visibility for road safety and enforcement purposes, although these are kept under constant review.In common with other road traffic laws, enforcement of these requirements is an operational matter for the police.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Hollins: To ask His Majesty's Government whatprogress they have made, if any, in reaching a settlement in cases of individuals who have developed (1) blood clots, and (2) life-changing conditions, such as transverse myelitis, after receiving the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine; and what assessment they have made of the level of payment being awarded under the Vaccine Damage Payment scheme.

Lord Markham: The Government knows there are some extremely rare cases where individuals have sadly experienced harm following vaccination against COVID-19, and recognises how difficult this is for those individuals and their families. It would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases, including where there may be ongoing litigation that may involve the Government.As part of business-as-usual work, the Government reviews the payment amount of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS), alongside all routine policy on a regular basis. There are no plans at this time to change the level of payment awarded under the VDPS.

Diabetes: Health Services

The Earl of Dundee: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to find solutions for diabetes type one sufferers.

Lord Markham: The goal of treating type 1 diabetes is to keep blood glucose within a healthy range by providing the body with supplemental insulin. The National Health Service, with the Department’s support, has taken a number of steps to help manage type 1 diabetes.In line with the commitments in the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England is driving access to new and existing technologies such as continual glucose monitors. This reflects the essential role that technology plays in allowing individuals with type 1 diabetes to manage their blood sugars correctly and avoid dangerous complications. Furthermore, maternity services across the country are now offering continuous glucose monitors to expectant mothers with type 1 diabetes.Finally, approximately 72% of children and young people living with type 1 diabetes have registered with the Digibete app, which helps users manage their type 1 diabetes. Over 250,000 unique users have accessed the open access adult website, with over 3,800 education modules undertaken.

Abortion

Lord Shinkwin: To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of overall pregnancy terminations have been carried out in accordance with paragraph (d) of section 1(1) of the Abortion Act 1967 in each of the past five years.

Lord Markham: We are unable to provide the data requested for 2022 and 2023 as these statistics have not yet been published. Abortion statistics for 2022 are provisionally scheduled to be published in May 2024. The date of publication of abortion statistics for 2023 will be announced in due course.The following table shows information on the proportion of overall pregnancy terminations carried out in accordance with paragraph (d) of section 1(1) of the Abortion Act 1967 between 2019 and 2021:YearProportion (%)20192.020201.520211.6Source: NHS England

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Regional Planning and Development: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their levelling-up measures in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The UK Government is committed to levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom to ensure that no community is left behind. We are investing £456 million in Northern Ireland to help grow the economy, create jobs, improve transport, provide skills training and support local businesses.This includes £150 million to develop an Enhanced Investment Zone to provide targeted incentives and interventions to encourage investment and boost growth in Northern Ireland. As well as:10 years of endowment-style funding for Coleraine & Derry/Londonderry through the Long Term Plan for Towns£120 million from rounds 1 and 2 of the Levelling Up Fund, investing in infrastructure that improves everyday life for local residents.£127 million set aside through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, of which £76 million has so far been allocated to 30 projects in Northern Ireland.The UK Government is providing the Northern Ireland Executive with a significant £3.3 billion spending settlement to stabilise its finances and protect public services. Within this a number of DLUHC funds are being made available to the Northern Ireland Executive.The full list of the UK Government funds which are being made available to the Northern Ireland Executive was released publicly on Friday 8 March on gov.uk.The published document confirms that £30 million from the third round of the Levelling Up Fund and £22.6 million from the Northern Ireland allocation for UKSPF have been included in the financial package to increase the spending power of the restored Executive.We are committed to evaluating the impact of all our funding, as set out in the recently published local growth evaluation strategy.   Local Growth programme (pdf, 534.4KB)

War Memorials: Muslims

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government why the National Muslim War Memorial will not be situated in Westminster.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: On 6 March the Chancellor announced funding of up to £1million for a new war memorial to recognise the sacrifice and duty of Muslim soldiers who fought and died for this country in both world wars.It will be a visible reminder of the important contributions of Muslims to British history, and will promote shared values amongst people of all backgrounds through building a better understanding of faith groups’ contribution to wider society. Further information will be provided in due course.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Training

The Earl of Effingham: To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light ofreports that homelessness among military veterans in England increased by 14 per cent in the past 12 months, what steps they plan to take to ensure that ongoing regular training on the benefits of financial, dietary and physical education are provided to members of the armed forces throughout their careers rather than only as they leave the armed forces.

The Earl of Minto: The Ministry of Defence is committed to the health and wellbeing of our Armed Forces. The Defence People Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-27 promotes the importance of health and wellbeing across Defence, adopting a holistic approach to mental health, physical health, and social health. It directs a coordinated approach to promote, prevent, detect and treat poor health and wellbeing early to enable optimal recovery. It ensures that all our people will be in a state of positive physical, mental and social health and wellbeing throughout their career. The Ministry of Defence is also working to raise financial awareness among Service personnel; all three Services provide links on their welfare sites to several financial advisory sites including the Money and Pension Service (https://maps.org.uk/en#) and Joining Forces Credit Union (JFCU) (https://www.joiningforcescu.co.uk/). Service personnel are provided with online and face to face briefings from the JFCU which aim to assist them, their partners, families, and dependants, to be better equipped to manage their money and financial affairs. Officers can also signpost their personnel to the JFCU which supplies bespoke products to move Service personnel away from Payday Loan Companies. JFCU also attend events on military bases and provide general financial advice to both existing personnel and new recruits. Regarding advice on nutrition, the Defence Nutrition Advisory Service (DNAS) provides evidence-based nutrition education and training through career, starting in Initial Military Training. The DNAS also provides over a hundred evidence-based factsheets and briefs within the themed areas of: Public Health Nutrition, Sports and Exercise Nutrition Military Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition and Nutrition for Health Professionals.

Home Office

Asylum: Appeals

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to (1) cap, or (2) curtail, multiple appeals from the same asylum seeker.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: There are no plans to change the rules regulating multiple appeals. An asylum seeker who has already appealed cannot appeal again unless they make further submissions which amount to a fresh claim. There will only be a fresh claim if the further submissions have not previously been considered and, taken together with the previously considered material, created a realistic prospect of success at appeal, even though the asylum claim is being refused. Where this test is not met, the further submissions are rejected and cannot be appealed.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Hot Tubs: Carbon Emissions

Lord Truscott: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given tobanning outdoor hot tubs to facilitate the transition to net zero.

Lord Callanan: The Government has no plans to ban outdoor hot tubs.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Aerials: Highlands of Scotland

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Camrose on 31 January (HL1716),why the choice of geographical coverage for the Shared Rural Network of telephone masts includes areas in the Highland region of Scotland where coverage can reach no house or community.

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Camrose on 31 January (HL1716),what protection they have included in provision for the Shared Rural Network of telephone masts in the Highland region of Scotland for wild land and areas of natural beauty, and scientific importance and interest.

Lord Smith of Finsbury: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byViscount Camrose on 31 January (HL1716),what consultation they have undertaken with Community Councils in the Highland region of Scotland in relation to the siting of proposed telephone masts under the auspices of the Shared Rural Network.

Viscount Camrose: 4G Mobile coverage already reaches 99% of premises in the UK. The Shared Rural Network is focused on delivering connectivity not just where people live but where they work, travel and visit. In the Highlands and other areas of Scotland, whether you are a farmer wishing to utilise new technology or a visitor to one of the National Parks, digital connectivity is vital. People must be able to build lives, grow families and sustain businesses, otherwise the communities that keep a place’s culture and history alive will simply dwindle. To minimise the impact on the environment, publicly funded masts will be shared by all four mobile network operators and existing infrastructure will be utilised wherever possible. At each potential location, an individual assessment takes account of a wide range of factors, including complying with strict planning rules for areas of natural beauty making sure we strike the right balance between connectivity and preserving the preciousness of unique landscapes. The mobile network operators are required to work closely with local communities to ensure concerns are heard through the planning process, and local planning authorities are then responsible for approving applications.